Warming Up
by Vicious Pink
Summary: PSII - Dezolis may be unwelcoming in its freezing state, but Amy and Rudo find a way to keep their hearts and spirits warm. **Revised! Completely new third chapter is now up.**
1. Night Watch

It was night, but the dense clouds and the reflection of moonlight off the snow gave the earth and sky an eerie glow. Rudo, who was pulling guard duty for the rest of his group, had a clear view of the area surrounding their camp. The seven travelers had made their way to the old Guaron fortress, but were waiting until daylight to explore the reportedly haunted structure. Rudo could see the ancient fort a short distance away. He thought he could hear strange sounds coming from it, but maybe it was the whistling wind or some wild animal. Then again, perhaps the planet's thin atmosphere was causing him to hallucinate.

In any case, he was much happier awake and alert than to be caught off guard by roaming beasts and heavily-armed mechanisms—which there were plenty of on Dezolis—or the otherworldly creatures and specters that resided in the planet's ancient places, like Guaron. He didn't know if those creatures would wander outside the fortress, but he wasn't about to take any risks. He kept his weapon at the ready as his eyes continued to scan the landscape. He was a hunter, but right now he was a soldier, a man of duty and responsibility.

So alert was Rudo that at that very moment he could easily hear light footsteps coming closer to him. He immediately charged his weapon: a massive, state-of-the-art automatic rifle, and challenged the figure that was responsible for making those footsteps. The figure stopped at his challenge and answered the hunter timidly.

"Rudo," called a female voice in an almost whisper, "it's just me."

Rudo realized it was Amy and eased his stance. Lately she had paid the hunter much attention, something that confused him, but ultimately he found their time together a great respite from their otherwise harsh existence. He sat up from a prone position and rested his gun in his lap. Amy pulled up next to him and sat on a blanket she had been carrying under her arm. In one of her hands she appeared to have a hot drink.

"You'll forgive me, Doctor, for not recognizing you or anyone else for that matter when we're all wearing about fifty layers of clothing," he told her, as he rubbed some sleep out of his eyes. It didn't go unnoticed by Amy.

"Oh, of course," she replied and handed him the cup of hot liquid she was holding.

Rudo didn't take it immediately. He studied the cup and asked, "This is for me? What is it?"

"Oh, I'm sorry," she said. "It's coffee. I thought you could use something to keep you alert out here." She held her arm out closer to him.

A freezing wind swept across the earth and against Rudo's back. Snow blew into Amy's face and caused her to wince and shield her eyes with her free arm. A few strands of her hair fell in front of her face. She clumsily searched for them with her free hand, but her glove made it hard for her to straighten her hair. Rudo didn't like seeing her struggle, so he took her drink and set it to the side in the snow.

"Here," he inched over to Amy as he took his gloves off and gently brushed her hair back under her hood and behind her ears. He watched her self-conscious reaction; she looked away and thanked him shyly.

"I should thank you," he replied, picking up his drink and observing its rising vapors. "A hot, caffeinated drink and someone to keep me company? I couldn't ask for more." He gave her a gracious smile, and Amy laughed at his remark. "What about you, though?" he inquired, making a motion with his drink. "You didn't make any for yourself?"

"Nah," spoke Amy. "It's already hard enough for me to get any sleep; I don't need coffee coursing through my veins, too. Besides, I can use foi to keep warm."

"Foi?" inquired a confused Rudo. "How is that possible?"

"It's not that hard, really," she casually answered him. "The elemental techniques can be used to help as well as harm. I actually prefer not to use them in harmful ways, though I know it's not useful for our team."

"You know plenty of useful techs, Doctor," Rudo reassured her. "Still, how does foi help you stay warm?" Rudo wondered.

"I guess... well..." Amy hesitated as she thought of a way to describe using techniques to someone who didn't know any. "It's sort of the literal version of having a fire in my belly. Instead of directing the technique's energy outward, like what we use in battle, I direct it inward, keeping my core warm."

"And it doesn't hurt you or damage you at all?" Rudo asked, a little concerned.

"Not if you know what you're doing," she replied with a sly grin. Suddenly she had the urge to ask him why he knew nothing about techniques. His focus was, of course, weapons and battle tactics, but even the best soldier could find a use for a few techniques. She hadn't thought that deeply about Rudo before, but maybe it was all a part of the natural progression of their friendship.

"May I ask you something personal?" Amy asked slowly as she looked down and ran her fingers along the hem of her cape, afraid of making eye contact with Rudo.

A few seconds went by before Rudo answered her. "I suppose. Depending on what it is, I may or may not have a reply for you, though."

Amy drew in a deep breath and released it. "Okay, then. Why don't you use techniques?"

Rudo let out a laugh. "That's it?" he asked. "I thought you were going to ask if I had ever killed someone or..."

"Wait," Amy interrupted, "have you?" She looked up at him in shock.

Rudo glared back at her. "Do you really think that's a question I'll answer?" Amy looked worried. Rudo shook his head and patted her on the back reassuringly. "Oh, come on. Of course I haven't killed anyone," he told her, then stared her down again. "Or have I?"

This time Amy knew he was joking. "Oh, stop it!" she giggled, pushing him playfully in the arm.

Rudo enjoyed seeing Amy in such a good mood. Rudo could see she was smiling despite the darkness of their surroundings. He loved her smile. It was full of brightness and warmth; one couldn't help but smile back when Amy smiled. He liked making her laugh, too, because she would add little gestures that made her seem so down-to-earth and amiable. Right now she was rocking her knees and tilting her head side-to-side with a genial expression playing across the soft features of her face. How could he not be drawn into her gentle, friendly nature?

He realized he might have been staring at her a bit too long, and attempted to get back to their conversation.

Rudo cleared his throat. "Anyway, about your original question, the answer is that I can't learn techniques."

Amy was confused. "You _can't_ learn them, or you don't want..."

"Can't," he interjected. "As in, I physically cannot learn techniques. I've tried, but I'm not able to draw that energy you spoke of earlier. That's why I carry a lot of firepower." He patted his gun.

Amy laughed again, but then her expression became more somber. "I've heard that a portion of the population is unable to use techs, but you're the first one I've actually met. I'm sorry." She looked at him sympathetically.

Rudo was taken aback by her concern. "Are you worried about me? Because I've made it through 35 years without techs; I'll be fine." He smiled at her and rubbed her shoulder. "Tell you what, when we make it back to Motavia, I'll move to Oputa so that any time I might need to use a tech, I can easily find you to do my dirty work for me." He winked at her.

His comment had Amy smiling again. She looked up at the clouds and said, "Funny you should mention moving to Oputa. I was actually thinking of moving to Arima when we get back."

The mention of Rudo's town surprised him. "Arima? Really?"

Amy shrugged. "Well, someone has to rebuild it, right? They'll need clinics."

_Always the humanitarian,_ Rudo thought to himself, admiring Amy's optimism for a town that was probably right now deserted or nearly so, anyway.

"What's really funny is that both of us are thinking of going back to Motavia in the first place," Rudo said and immediately regretted it. "I guess that's not really funny, though."

Amy ceased rocking her knees, sat up from her more casual posture and stared off at nothing. "We'll make it back," she said plainly, without the same naive optimism. "We'll make it back." She repeated her words as if it would help her believe that they were true.

Rudo suddenly felt his stomach turn from mentioning the improbability of their return to Motavia. If it was just him, he'd be content hiding on Dezolis for the rest of his life. The planet had somehow managed to remain fairly immune to Mother Brain's influence, and the natives seemed to care not of the group's status as fugitives. However, Amy had family on Motavia. Hugh did, too, and so did Shir. The rest, including Rudo, had been orphaned or widowed by a system gone awry. Sometimes he forgot that there was still something left worth returning to on Motavia.

Rudo noticed a small tear work its way down Amy's right cheek. She remained still, as if she didn't want to draw attention to herself. He closed his eyes and shook his head, not proud of himself for being insensitive to Amy's family situation. He took in a deep breath and did the only thing he thought would repair the damage: he put his arms around her and drew her close to his chest.

"I'm sorry," he sighed. "We will make it back. All of us together." He could feel her slowly return his embrace, her arms wrapped around his trunk, her head buried in his front as she softly wept.

"Oh, Amy. I'm sorry. I didn't intend to ruin your night."

"You haven't," she mumbled into his coat. "May we stay like this for a while?"

Rudo rested his chin on her head and inhaled, taking in the smoky aroma of campfire permeated in her cape. "Of course," he replied quietly. "As long as you like."

"Thank you," said Amy as she held onto Rudo a little tighter.

Rudo couldn't remember the last time he held someone so closely. He could take a guess, but speaking of ruining a moment, he didn't want to bring up old memories. Instead he let a wall he had built up for over two years fall like it was made of nothing more than a child's building blocks. He wasn't sure how Amy had managed to penetrate his psyche so deeply, perhaps it was purely circumstance that brought them to this point. Rudo needed something to protect, and Amy needed a stand-in family: something to love and nurture. If so, then Rudo still had no regrets. They were banished to an unforgiving planet of ice and numbing temperatures, and they had each other to cling to and thaw out the bitter cold reality and uncertainty of their future.

He kept her in his arms for what felt like an all-too-brief moment before he felt her grip on him loosen until her arms eventually dropped to her sides. He felt her resting more heavily on his trunk and her breathing deepen as she fell into a slumber. Rudo looked up at the sky, watching a silent lightning storm unfold in the clouds. For him it was a perfect moment in an imperfect existence, and he was grateful he was given an opportunity to feel a certain amount of happiness again.

He would have left Amy to sleep against him until the morning if it wasn't also making him nod off, so he grudgingly lifted her into his arms and rose to his feet, making his way to her tent. She rustled slightly in his arms, turning towards his front and snuggling into him. Every step he took, every glance he made at the young woman resting so contentedly in his arms made his heart swell with a feeling he had lost along with his family: love. Amy _was_ his family now. Only, what he felt for her was not the sort of familial love one feels for a sibling or parent. No, the feeling growing in Rudo was much stronger. He thought about how everything in their current situation prevented him from pursuing her, which is exactly what he would be doing now in some alternate reality. He silently cursed himself for feeling the way he did when he wasn't sure how Amy felt for him, and for letting his emotions control him to such an extent.

Rudo placed Amy on her cot and carefully zipped her into her sleeping bag. He wanted more than anything to tell her about everything that was going through his mind, how he had somehow moved beyond considering her a friend, but instead he balled up his unsteady hands into tight fists, as if to choke his passionate thoughts dead.

He took one last look at Amy, and she stirred. Rudo hesitated for a few seconds, then Amy turned onto her side and softly spoke, "Good night, Rudo."

Her words sent a strange sensation up his spine. He wasn't sure how conscious she was while speaking them; he figured probably not very conscious at all. He exhaled deeply as he turned and exited the tent. How he would deal with his feelings would have to wait another time, as he transformed back to a man of duty, in charge of night watch for a strange group of visitors to Dezolis.

He was a soldier, but he was still vulnerable.


	2. Morning Meeting

That horrible, jarring sound of Amy's alarm shocked her awake, as if she had been zapped by an electric prod. Seven o'clock a.m. already? She felt like she had just gone to bed. She began sorting out her thoughts, figuring out what was a dream and what was reality. Where was she? Let's see... Cot, tent, somewhere on Dezolis... Wait, didn't she sit with Rudo last night? And now she was in her tent? But how? Oh, no. She realized she must have fallen asleep while... Oh, _no. _She was in his arms! Did he really hold her, or was that a dream? No, it most definitely was real, she recalled. She had turned into a crybaby over something ridiculous and he was cornered into comforting her. How _embarrassing._

Her heart sank. She wondered what Rudo would think of her now, as an oversensitive fool, and one who couldn't even stay awake during a chat! She had enjoyed their time together so much lately, of him being more open to her than the other team members. It made her feel special and needed, not as a doctor, but as a friend. She was angry at herself for putting pressure on Rudo to step outside his comfort zone and embrace her. _Was_ he outside his comfort zone, though? He didn't seem bothered by holding her. Really, he seemed content with it, even. Was is it a problem? The only thing Amy knew was that she felt like she belonged in Rudo's arms, like she'd been held by him a thousand times before. That wasn't appropriate, though, was it? She felt herself needing to see him as soon as possible out of desperation for some answers.

Without gathering her belongings for the day's mission, she hastily left her tent and headed straight for Rudo's. Oh, but he might still be asleep, since he was on guard duty last night. Rolf wouldn't need him awake until their journey through Guaron, which wouldn't be until Shir and Hugh came back from pulling reconnaissance. Still, she felt unable to stop herself from at least walking by his tent. Maybe she'd be able to hear if he was awake or if he was still asleep.

She wrung her hands anxiously as she made her way to Rudo's quarters. Would he even want to spend time with her anymore? This was all her fault, for making things awkward and confusing, and for...

Suddenly Rudo emerged from his tent, right at the moment when Amy was walking by it. She put her hands up and tried to step back, but couldn't stop her forward momentum and landed smack into his front, bouncing off him like a pinball off a bumper. Amy grabbed him by the coat with both hands as she bounced away from him, and Rudo grasped her shoulders to keep her from falling down. _Why_ did she have to be so clumsy? She had all the grace of a Dezolian elephant, and it showed, too.

"R-Rudo, I..." she fumbled, her eyes flickering nervously.

"Ah, uh, good morning, Amy," Rudo's voice cracked.

_At least he's nervous, too. That's a good thing, right? _Amy wondered.

"Sh-shouldn't you be asleep?" stuttered Amy. She noticed she was still gripping his coat and quickly removed her hands from him. She didn't know why, but Rudo continued to hold her by the shoulders. She no longer needed him for support, and being held by him again was causing her head to spin.

Rudo briefly shook his head. "I slept for a few hours after Anna relieved me at three this morning, and I'll rest for a couple more before we head into Guaron," he answered, staring Amy over. "Are you all right? You look like something's worrying you."

Amy gulped at hearing his words. She wished she wasn't so animated all the time; she'd never have a career as a poker player, that was for sure. "Well, I..." she paused to cough, "I'm... it's just that..." she tried to form a complete sentence, but Rudo's hold on her made her lose focus. However, when she looked into his eyes she saw the same Rudo from before the previous night. He wasn't annoyed with her; it was only in her head that she had built up this image of being a burden to Rudo and causing a rift in their friendship. She suddenly felt a calm about the whole situation.

"Thank you, Rudo," she sighed in relief.

"For what?" he asked sincerely.

"For putting up with me last night," she replied, then added in a whisper, "I'm sorry for crying, and I'm sorry for falling asleep."

"No," Rudo murmured, moving one of his hands to her cheek and brushing it, "don't apologize. Never apologize for being in my company. If I could have it my way, you..." his voice broke off.

Amy stared at him for what felt like an eternity, waiting for him to complete his thought. She could tell just by looking at him that he was having his own internal struggle. She wondered if she should move or change the subject, but at the same time she realized he was beginning to slowly lean down towards her.

Though she hadn't had as much life experience as Rudo-she was almost 12 years his junior-she wasn't so naive not to realize that his current movements would end with his face meeting hers. She could feel each individual finger of Rudo's hand grace her cheek. They were rough from constant labor and exercise, yet his touch was so gentle against her skin. Unintentionally, Rudo had frozen Amy so that whatever was about to happen, she would let it happen. No, she _wanted_ it to happen. A dozen different feelings danced around inside Amy's head and drew her into reverie.

She didn't have time to bask in those mixed emotions, though, as Rudo pulled away suddenly, startling Amy back into reality. _What now?_ she thought as her feet remained glued to the ground. Rudo took his hands away from her and turned around to his tent. Amy gasped but hoped he hadn't heard her as he disappeared through the tent flaps. She stood there with her jaw hung open, still unsure of what to do. _Move, dammit!_ she cursed herself, but she couldn't budge. Was she only imagining that he was about to kiss her? That must be it. Why would Rudo want to do that, anyway? If she couldn't make herself move, then she would just talk about other things.

"I-I thought we could have breakfast together," Amy called into the tent, still fixed where she was standing, "but I wasn't sure if..."

Just then Rudo reappeared, holding equipment for water filtration.

"Oh," Amy was surprised. "I'm probably bothering you; I'll just..."

"Walk with me," Rudo interrupted, motioning with his head for Amy to follow him. "You can carry these," he said as he handed her a few folded up water bags. "There's something I want to talk to you about."

Amy didn't like the tone of his voice. It was far too serious for the kind of rapport they had built between each other over the last few months. She knew it. Something _was _wrong. All the mixed signals Rudo sent her just now were to stall for time, to let her down easily. Oh, what a horrible day this was turning into!

Both of them walked in silence towards the camp's water source. Amy kept her head down to avoid making eye contact with Rudo. To take her mind off things, she observed the different tracks in the snow and played a game in her head of guessing which footprints belonged to each of her teammates. She recognized the imprints of Anna's knife boots making tracks towards where Amy had been sitting with Rudo the night before. That certainly wasn't putting her mind to ease, so she followed another set of prints that looked like Shir's. Of course, Shir must have been walking to the...

"Amy!" Rudo called out, grabbing the young doctor by the arm and jerking her suddenly towards him. Amy looked up and saw the back of Kain right where she had been walking. If it hadn't been for Rudo's quick reaction, she would have plowed right into Kain. While she was lost in thought-and her silly game-she had forgotten to look where she was going. Now she was up to two klutzy moves for the day and she hadn't even had breakfast yet. _Well, this is just fabulous,_ she criticized herself.

Kain turned around and let out a chuckle. "'Mornin' strangers," he greeted, nodding at Amy and Rudo. "Looks like Ah've been denied the pleasure of havin' a pretty lady bump intuh me."

Amy halfheartedly laughed at Kain's comment, still embarrassed about being such a clod. "My apologies, Kain," Amy replied. "I'm not quite awake yet, and we certainly have a long day ahead of us, huh?" Her words were mostly a stall, and felt awkward coming out of her mouth. She must have sounded like an idiot to Rudo.

If Amy's words sounded weird to her, Kain hadn't noticed. He turned back around to his pile of tools, picked up a wrench and began loosening the bolt of a somewhat familiar looking mechanism Kain had taken apart in several pieces and had strewn out on a tarp. Amy figured he was probably up to no good, as every time he tried to "fix" one of the mechanisms their group had successfully attacked and taken offline, he ended up electrocuting himself, nearly severing an appendage, or needing some other form of her assistance as a doctor and healer.

Rudo cleared his throat. "Uh, Kain? What is that?" he asked with reservation.

"Ya mean this here pile o'circuits?" Kain gestured at the robot with his wrench. "It's one o'them twiggies! I's wanted tah get mah hands on one fer a long dern time! I's gonna fix it so it'll be our pet. It'll be our scoutin' dawg!" He turned his head to Rudo and Amy and gave them a proud grin.

Amy heard Rudo unsuccessfully suppress a groan. She herself tried to feign a look of interest at Kain's project and took a hard swallow.

"Wow, Kain," her voice cracked slightly. "We'll sure look forward to having a... pet to help us track... things."

"Now that's the spirit!" Kain happily replied. "Ya need tuh git yer buddy Rudo on board!" He waved his wrench at Rudo, but then had to turn around again as sparks started pouring out of the robot's eye sockets. The sparks caused the circuitry behind the robot's metal skull to burst into flames, and Kain's attention was now totally focused on the burning mechanism as he batted at it with a rag and spewed a barrage of profanities.

Rudo quickly moved Amy out of range of Kain's disaster. She was snickering as she covered the grin on her face, trying not to laugh out loud at poor Kain. As they moved farther away from Kain, Rudo let out a disgusted sigh and shook his head.

"That kid," he grumbled. "Too bad none of his tattoos are warning labels."

Amy couldn't hold back anymore and burst out in laughter. She looked up at Rudo as she laughed and noted him chuckling as well. Ah, now this was the Rudo she liked best: One that she could share a joke with.

Rudo took in a deep breath after they were done laughing and beamed at Amy.

"There it is," he told Amy in what seemed to her like great relief over something.

She was still grinning from ear-to-ear, but she didn't understand what he meant. "There is what?" she asked.

"Your smile," he replied. "I've been waiting all morning for it."

Amy's heart skipped a beat. "Oh?"

"Yes, which reminds me, I was going to tell you something, right?"

"Um, I think so," Amy answered, dreading the impending conversation.

They came upon the area where Hugh had found an underground water supply the evening prior, and Rudo unceremoniously dumped the equipment out of his arms. He then took the bags from Amy, and not the least bit carefully tossed them onto the ground. There wasn't another soul near them, yet Rudo could only whisper his next words to Amy.

"We're friends, right?" he asked, leaning near her ear.

"Y-yes, of course..."

"No." he interrupted.

"...What?"

"I don't want to be just your friend, Amy," he barely managed to mumble, breathing heavily.

Amy was too shocked to reply. She felt her body swaying, like she would pass out. Rudo put his arms around her and brought his face down to where she could feel his breath.

"After what happened last night, I want..." he broke off.

As Amy waited for him to go on, she took a moment to observe Rudo's appearance at this moment in time. He had changed quite a bit since before they were fugitives of Mother Brain. His hair was long enough now that Amy could tell it had some natural curl. It occasionally fell in his face, and there was something she found rather attractive about the way he'd push it back while he was working. He had lost some of his bulk and had taken on a more lean, athletic build. He still shaved, though less often, and currently he had a fair amount of stubble on his jaw and chin. His eyes appeared more of a crystal blue while they were on Dezolis, and though there was always a certain amount of sorrow behind them, lately they seemed brighter and more inviting. Really, everything about him was warmer and more open now. How ironic that on this ice planet Rudo had finally warmed up to someone, and with that, Amy realized what he really wanted.

She brought her hands up to him and let her fingers run through his hair. "Rudo, I think I want the same thing, but..."

"I know," he said, drawing her closer.

A lump began to form in Amy's throat. She didn't want to cry again; she'd had enough of that and wanted to enjoy this moment. Still, the feeling persisted.

"Then... what's the right thing to do?" Amy asked, her voice trembling.

He guided her hands around his back and tucked her into him the way he had the night before.

"I wish I knew," he whispered softly into the top of her head.

Amy leaned her head on his chest, closed her eyes and envisioned a world where she could be with Rudo, free from danger, free from tyranny and free to love him openly. It was only in her head, but it was the most beautiful place in the universe.

* * *

_Note: You may be wondering what kind of robot Kain was working on. One of the mechanisms that the PSII team encounters on Dezolis is a robot called a "Twigtall." Hence, that's why Kain called it a "twiggie." They look like mechanical dogs standing on their hindquarters and their attack involves shooting a laser beam out of their mouths. They're not particularly ferocious looking, especially when compared with some of the larger robots in the game. Personally, I think it would be fun to have one as a "pet" and hope Kain can get this one working the way he wants it to. I seriously doubt that will happen, though, knowing Kain._


	3. For Algol or for Amy

Rudo had come to the conclusion that nothing about Dezolis could surprise him anymore, from the natives who could only be understood by wearing special translation hats, to a spaceport full of domestic pets, to a more than 1,000 year old Esper in exile. Not the least of these oddities was the tower he was looking up at now: Guaron fortress. It was one of four structures built out of magic to protect the weapons and armor designed to demolish the evil entity known as Dark Force, Algol's Prince of Darkness. Add one more bizarre quirk to the list, and that would be that the structures could only be seen through the use of a special device called the "aeroprism," which was created by the Espers.

Standing next to Rudo in the snow was Amy, who was attaching the equipment she'd be taking with her into Guaron. She was humming something Rudo didn't recognize as she strapped a pistol to her right thigh and put her outerwear in a neat pile along the side of the building, next to his own equipment, which he had yet to bother with. She seemed to go about her business so casually. It should have been one more peculiar thing for Rudo, but he had grown accustomed to living outside the normal, to where it was no big deal that a petite doctor with no prior fighting experience could act so laid back about entering a structure teeming with creatures that existed to kill humans.

He was glad they had come to Guaron earlier than the rest of the group so that they could have some alone time before starting the mission. He looked down at the top of her head; her once-ruby locks were now darker and quite matted from the harsh weather and lack of ultraviolet on Dezolis. It was the first chance in weeks he had the opportunity to look at her without all of the usual coats, capes, hats and gloves, since none of it would be necessary inside Guaron. Besides, today was actually above freezing for a change. Rudo was reminded of the time last week when one of the natives back in Ryuon had hinted that this hemisphere of Dezolis was coming up on its warm season.

Rudo had stopped paying attention to Amy, otherwise he would have realized that though she was not looking at him, she was having a conversation with him. He was too tuned into their surroundings; listening for other group members or animals, even trying to hear inside Guaron. As he scanned their surroundings after assuming a snap of a tree branch was coming from straight ahead of him, he felt a tug at his left boot, then another. His eyes glanced down to find Amy loosening his boot straps and cuffing his pant leg tightly before tucking it into his boot again. Only now did he realize she had been talking to him. He tried to pick up the conversation, which was something about Shir and Moon Dew, but he was too amused by Amy's spontaneous sprucing to contribute. He continued to watch her straighten his clothes, and in spite of himself, he started laughing. Amy looked up, bewildered.

"What's so funny?" she demanded, much less amused than her hunter companion.

"I'm sorry," Rudo continued to chuckle. "I just wasn't expecting us to be so comfortable with each other that you're now fixing my clothes for me. You don't have to do that, you know."

Amy paused briefly, embarrassed by herself. She snapped her hands away from Rudo's boot without finishing and stood up. "Oh!" she exclaimed, her cheeks flush and head turned away from Rudo. "I don't know why I was doing that. I'm sorry for..."

"Why are you apologizing?" Rudo asked, holding her chin in his hand and directing her face back to him. "I'm not complaining, Amy. By all means, adjust my lousy cuffing job whenever you feel the urge."

The corners of Amy's mouth turned up in a tender smile. She closed her eyes, took Rudo's hand and moved it to her cheek, relaxing into it. He crept his fingers around to the back of her head and brought his other hand to her face to match. It was so hard to resist pinning her against the outer wall of Guaron and having his way with her. It was bad enough his testosterone was elevated for their risky adventure through Guaron, but add to that a recently reawakened sex drive, one that had been dormant for three years at that, and it all combined to make Rudo a frustrating and unstable mix of hormones. May the Great Light help him, if something didn't give within the next few minutes, he would march into Guaron and open fire on everything that moved.

His continued purposeful gaze at Amy must have appeared quite intense to the young doctor. She looked perplexed over his deep study of her, and she giggled somewhat nervously at him, biting her lower lip.

"Is everything all right?" Amy asked and placed a hand on top his. "You've been staring at me like that all day. Is it because... you know?"

"That's exactly what it is," Rudo sighed but returned her smile. "Do you know how much I want to..." he reluctantly cut himself off. He hated dancing around this issue; it wasn't helping things at all. Why couldn't either of them just say what it was they really wanted? Rudo did feel very in tune with Amy's mind; they seemed to read each others' thoughts quite well. However, he'd had enough of playing the psychic, and standing next to him with her head in his hands was the woman he desired so desperately not even a deadly mission could interfere with the way he felt about her. It was time to stop contemplating what they _could_ do, he thought, and just do it. He hastily bent over to tighten his boots straps, stood up and held Amy by both her upper arms. He directed her to an area outside Guaron that was thick with trees.

"Rudo?" Amy looked surprised as she moved with Rudo against her will. The fact that she seemed so innocent of his plans only made him want her even more. She made him feel so young, like he was pursuing love for the first time. "Wh-what are you doing?" she asked nervously, hanging onto his arms as he backed her into the trees.

He didn't answer her until he was satisfied with their seclusion from the rest of the Dezolis. "I'm doing what I've wanted to do all morning," he said as he pushed her against a sturdy tree trunk, brushing his face against hers and lightly showering her cheeks and neck with kisses. It felt so right, so perfect. Amy arched her neck to accommodate him, meanwhile running her fingers through his hair. Her light sighing and rise and fall of her chest only fueled Rudo's passion.

"We've known each other for over a year," he told her through his kissing. "We've been close friends for at least half that time. I don't know how we got to this point, but everything about you drives me crazy." He grabbed her tunic and started balling up its ease into his fists. He had to do something to keep himself from going any further than a good necking, and holding onto her clothes was better than yanking them off. He was so caught up in feeling Amy that he had forgotten to make sure she was comfortable with his sudden nuzzling. "If this is too much I'll stop. Just let me know," he told her as he continued to embrace her.

Amy pushed Rudo's head away but kept her hands on his cheeks. Rudo gazed back at her, feeling more than a touch of disappointment. Amy quickly ended that disappointment by suddenly bringing her lips to his and wrapping her arms securely around his neck. Rudo reciprocated by pressing her harder into the tree as he explored her mouth and tongue, locking into his memory every sensation: the smell of her freshly-cleaned face, the taste of tea and honey from breakfast, the feel of the curve of her hips, and the sounds of her breathing through her nose and faint moans of satisfaction.

All of this, he thought, would get him through Guaron. It didn't matter how massive or powerful whatever creatures existed in that building were; he wouldn't hesitate to knock them out of the way so he could get out of there as quickly as possible and be with Amy again. It was also inconsequential to Rudo whether he was completing this mission for Algol or for Amy. They were the same to him and every bit as important, both with the same end goal: Get out of Guaron with the Nei items, become stronger and more resilient and live to carry on the rest of the Dezolisian mission. In fact, Amy was now even more reason to get the job done. Rudo had spent the last year fighting in memory of his love lost. Fighting for love _found, _though, was something more tangible and exciting, and it renewed his sense of purpose and drive.

The only thing Rudo was unsure of was how their new relationship would affect them as teammates. It was something both of them had brought up earlier as a reason not to pursue each other romantically. He wasn't sure if they could keep their affections secret, or if that was even necessary. The entire group had grown to be very tight-knit and had a specific dynamic that had worked well for the better part of a year. Rudo didn't want to do anything to shake that balance, and he was sure Amy felt the same way.

He found it impossible to dwell on whether what they were doing was helping or hindering their duties to their team, as Amy's left leg made its way up his right side then hooked over his thigh. As if that didn't turn his mind to so much mush, her hands crept underneath his shirt, lightly running her fingers over his back. The sudden thrill of her bare hands against his skin ignited an entirely new level of excitement in Rudo, and he groped her leg, undoing the thigh holster of her pistol in one easy motion and the utility belt it was strapped to in another. He then let gravity take care of the rest as Amy's belt fell to the ground.

Rudo now had unfettered access to Amy's midriff as he reached under her tunic and let his hands play around the waistband of her wool leggings. He had now redrawn the line of his caressing, once established at merely kissing her. His hands were aching to explore her further, and it was of no help that Amy was all but wrapping herself around him, almost climbing him. The closeness was almost unbearable. The pair were two swift moves away from full-on lovemaking, Rudo figured, and this was far from the right time or place to go down that path.

"We have to stop," he managed to get out, much to his chagrin.

"I know," replied Amy through a gasp of pleasure, "but not yet. Please." She inched her way up to his earlobe and gently nibbled on it.

Amy had successfully diverted Rudo's attempts at halting their making out. He let his hands slowly creep up her back underneath her tunic, until he reached her shoulder blades. He knew his actions were causing her back to be exposed to the chilly Dezolisian air, but he continued to take his time feeling the smoothness of her soft, feminine skin.

"Are you cold?" Rudo asked, trying to sound concerned, but wanting to know for his own selfish desires.

Amy breathed out a no, and then replied, "Quite the opposite..."

"Good," Rudo said, and without hesitating another second, pulled her tunic completely off. Amy let out a startled yelp, followed by her delighted giggling. Rudo had heard her laugh plenty of times, but today he decided it was quite possibly the most adorable utterance in all of Algol. It made him laugh, too, and added a much-needed dose of reality to their current situation. It could have been the most pleasant day on Motavia and it would still be poor timing. Still, Rudo joined Amy and pulled his own shirt off. He drew in Amy as tightly as he could against him. The two continued to laugh rather than go any further, reveling in the absurdity of stripping and making out in the woods outside Guaron.

Rudo caught his breath, looked at Amy and said, "Consider this my version of throwing ice water on us."

Amy continued to laugh, "Yes, my front is still warm, but my back? Not so much!"

"Our clothes aren't getting any warmer, either," Rudo said as he nodded his head at their shirts.

"Uh-huh. And whose fault is that?" asked Amy with a playful smirk, drawing a finger softly across Rudo's chest.

"Keep touching me like that and I'll add to the pile of clothes over there," he told her as he took her hand and kissed it gently. They were quickly running out of time, but he took in a deep breath, paused and watched all of the subtle expression changes Amy was going through as she was looking back at him. As he released his breath he declared, "One last time." He brought her face to his and kissed her more deeply and more passionately than he had before.

It was a kiss that transcended mere pent-up sexual tension and the heat of moment. It was a kiss that solidified his devotion to her, to communicate to her that his intentions were honorable. It wasn't something easy for Rudo to express; Algol was quickly falling apart around them. Anything he had to say about how he felt about her had already been said. Talking about it more might come off as desperate, as if he was looking for one last chance before their group threw their lives at the main cause of evil in their galaxy. He cared deeply for Amy and did not want that depth clouded by the futility he felt for their situation. He wanted something better for her, but all he could do right now was kiss her like Algol would be over in a day.


End file.
